Tape dispenser



July 13, 1943. H. L FISCHER TAPE DISPENSER FiledAug. 19, 1940 PatentedJuly 13, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TAPE DISPENSER Howard L.Fischer, St. Paul, Minn.

Application August 19, 1940, Serial No. 353,241

(Cl. 21S-33) 8 Claims.

My invention relates to a tape dispenser wherein the adhesive surface ofthe tape may be of a non-drying character or the adhesive tape may bemade with a glue-like surface which when moistened may be applied to thesurface to which the tape is to be adhered.

A feature of the invention resides in providing a simple constructionWhere the compartment for holding the adhesive may be molded from aplastic material, and where the sides fit together by telescoping thesame together.

A feature resides in providing a container which may be easily opened bypressing the finger through a hole in one side wall until the fingermeets a transverse wall of the other side, and by causing the nger toexert pressure against said wall, the two sides are separated so that anew roll of tape may be placed within the same.

A further feature resides in providing a projecting portion on one sideof the dispenser which projecting portion may be undercut so as to leavea protruding edge over which the free edge of the adhesive tape mayextend so that the same may be easily engaged when it is desired tobring the free end of the tape under the pressing roller. This may alsobe accomplished by a cut-away portion in the casing which leaves thefree edge of the tape in position to be easily engaged.

It is also a feature to provide a soft rubber or composition pressingroller which causes the tape to be pressed onto any uneven surface.

Another feature of the invention resides in the cut-off knife which isplaced ahead of the roller and which acts as a key to hold the side wallportions of the casing in line when the same is closed.

These features together with other details and objects of my inventionwill be more fully and clearly set forth in the following specificationand claims.

In the drawing forming a part of my specication:

Figure 1 illustrates a side view of my dispenser.

Figure 2 is a side view of the dispenser with one side wall removed.

Figure 3 illustrates the inside of the side Wall which has been removedfrom the casing shown in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a section on the line II-- of Figure 1.

Figure 5 illustrates a side view of the pressing roller.

Figure 6 illustrates an edge View of the pressing roller.

Figure 7 illustrates a perspective view of the key cutter.

Figure 8 illustrates a. portion of the casing, showing a hole in theside Wall which holds the free edge of the tape away from the side wallwhen the same is drawn back over the same.

The casing of my taper A may be made of molded plastic or any othersuitable material and is composed of the side I0 and the side I I. Theoutline or shape of the dispenser A may be of any desired character,such as round, octagonal, or any desired outside shape or formation. Ihave illustrated a generally round formation to the main body portion ofthe casing from which projects a hood for covering the pressing rollerI2.

The pressing roller may be made of rubber or other soft material, or ofany material desirable, and is adapted to be supported between the sidewalls I0 and II in the openings I3 in the same by the shaft I4Whichprojects from either sidev of the roller I2. The ends of the shaftI4 are preferably rounded or pointed at I5 so as to cause the same toenter the openings I3 easily. The roller I2 is held freely removablewhen the side walls are separated and may be readily replaced. Theroller I2 may be molded with the shaft I4 formed integral with the body,if it is desired, in which case, it should be made of plastic material.

The side walls I0 and II are held together mainly by the telescopingcore portions. The tubular core portion I6 is formed on the side wall I0and projects inwardly of the same and is adapted to telescope into thetubular core portion II as illustrated in Figure 4 when the sides I0 andIl are held together. These'tubular portions are frictionally engagedwith each other in a manner so as to provide suitable means for holdingthe side walls in closed position as illustrated in Figures 1 and 4.

The side wall III is formed with a depressed wall portion I8 againstwhich the finger can be forced as illustrated in Figure 4, to separatethe walls I0 and II. The tubular core portion Il provides a bearing forreceiving a roll of adhesive tape B as illustrated in Figures 2 and 4.

When the roll of tape B is in place on the tubular portion I1, the wallI0 may be telescoped by the tubular portion IS entering the tubularportion Il to close the container A. In closing the container A theholes I3 are aligned with the ends I5 of the shaft I4 so as to hold theroller I2 in place between the walls. To further align the walls I0 andII, I provide the recesses I9 in which the key and cutter 20 ispositioned. The key cutter 20 normally remains xed in the for- Ward hoodend 2| of the side wall Il as illus- 'trated in Figure 2. The recess I3formed in the wall I0, shown in Figure 3, is exactly the same as therecess I3 formed in the wall I I and when the wall portions I and I Iare put together the projecting portion of the key cutter 20 is adaptedto fit into the recess I9 of the wall III. The key cutter is formed withan enlarged edge 22 and an oi'i'set serrated cutting edge 23. Theserrated cutting edge 23 projects beyond the surface 24 of the side wallII, whereas, the enlarged portion 22 fits into the enlarged portion I9formed in the inner end oi' the recess I9. The key cutter 20 is held byspring tension and friction normally in the recess I9 in the portion II.Thus the key cutter 20 forms a means of aligning the walls III and IIwhen they are put together. I also provide a recess 25 formed in theedge of the wall II as illustrated in Figure 2 and into which theprojecting key portion 26 formed in the edge of the wall I0 is adaptedto fit. I'he portion 26 is shown in Figure 3.

When the tape from the roll B is adapted to be used in the dispenser A,the free end 21 of the same is brought around under the pressing rollerI2 as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. To apply the tape, it is onlynecessary to cause the roller I2 to press down against the back of thetape and pull the dispenser along over the surface to be taped. When itis desired to out off the tape, the dispenser is tilted so that the tape21 will come in contact with the cutting teeth ofthe cutter 23,whereupon the tape is cut off. The free end 21 of the tape can beadhered to the surface of the portion I I as illustrated in Figure 2with the extreme free end 21' projecting beyond the raised edge 28 whichis formed on the side wall portion II and is illustrated in Figures 1, 2and 4. The raised portion 28 is under-cut so that the tape end 21 willproject in a manner so that it will be easily engaged to lift it ofi" ofthe surface ofthe wall II and bring it under the roller I2 in positionto be used.

Instead of using the raised edge 28 to provide a free engagement of theend 21 of the tape end 21, I provide in an alternative form an opening29 in the side portion I I. This provides a means of permitting theiinger nail or giving free access to the end 21 of the tape to removethe tape from its adhered position as illustrated in Figure 8.

I provide an alternative form for my dispenser wherein a well 3 isprovided in which a wick 3| may be placed which may be saturated withwater and which wick presses against the roller 32. The roller 32 isplaced a slight distance away from the roller I2 so that the tape 33 maybe passed under the roller I2 and in a position so that it will strikethe moistening roller 32. The wick 3| may be urged by a spring 34 towardthe roller 32. In this form of my dispenser, a dry adhesive tape may beused with a glue surface which may be moistened as the tape is drawnfrom the dispenser by the roller I2.

In operation the roller I2 acts to draw the tape off of the roll B as itis desired for use, and with my dispenser the tape can be quicklyattached to any surface by simply drawing the dispenser over the surfaceand causing the roller I2 to press the tape against the surface to betaped.

which acts a key to hold the sides'- line together, together with themeans for holding the extreme free end 21 of the tape projecting be -vyond the shoulder or edge 23 or within the opening 23 so that it may beeasily taken hold of to bring it under'the roller I2 when it is `desiredfor use. It is also a feature to provide a marginal reinforcing rib 35formed on the sides III and I I, and inner ribs 33 formed on said sideswhich reinforce the side walls and provide gripping means so that thedispenser may be more Leasily held when using the same.

The case of the dispenser A may be made in a manner so that the portionof the casing which covers the roller I2 is in the form of a hood C andthe side wall I0 is in the form of a disc separating from the hood C onthe circular line 33, as shown in Figure 4. It is obvious, however, thatthe side wall III may extend over the entire side of the casing asillustrated in the inside formation of the same shown in Figure 3. Whenthe casing is made with the wall I0 in the form of a disc, the roller I2is held and positioned between the sides of the hood and is notordinarily removable. The same is true of the cutter 20.

With these features I provide a device of a simple practical naturewhich makes it easy to assemble and disassemble and to dispense tapefrom the same.

I claim:

1. An adhesive tape dispenser comprising aA casing having somewhatcircular parallel side walls, tubular core means projecting inwardlykfrom said side walls adapted to telescopically ilt together to hold theside walls in closed position and adapted to support a roll of tape,transverse wall means in said core means which when pressed against,causes said side walls to be separated, a. peripheral wall having arecess, a

tape pressing roller positioned in said recess in said peripheral wall,and a tape cutter positioned forwardly of said roller.

2. A tape dispenser including a casing adapted to support a roll o'fadhesive tape therein, tubular core means formed projecting inwardlyfrom the walls of said casing adapted to support the roll of tape, atape pressing roller supported in said casing, a pair of recesses insaid casing, a cutter held frictionally in one of said recesses in oneof said side walls and adapted to engage the other recess in the otherside wall to hold said walls in alignment, and an aperture formed insaid casing over which the free end of the extremity of the tape fromthe roll may be extended unadhered while the other portion of the freeend of the tape is adhered to the casing. yfacilitating thedisengagement of the adhered portion of the free end of the'tape toplace the same under the pressing roller.

3. A tape dispenser including a tape pressing roller, a casing formed\of two side wall portions for enclosing a supply of tape, said sidewall portions having tubular inwardly projecting core portions forsupporting said tape, acutter for the-tape, and means for facilitatingthe separating of said walls from each other by pressing against atransverse wall formed in the core of said casing.

4. An adhesive tape dispenser including a tape pressing roller, a casinghaving side walls and a hood formed over said roller, one of said sideWalls being in the form of a disc, said side walls having1 tubularinwardly projecting core portions for supporting a roll of adhesivetape. said core portions telescoping together in a manner to hold thecasing closed, a tape cutter means and a recess formed in said casingpermitting the free end of the tape to project beyond said recess, forengagement.

5. A tape dispenser comprising a casing having side walls and a coreportion adapted to telescope together, a shoulder means secured to oneof said walls and disposed between the same, which when depressed by thenger separates said walls to open said casing, a tape pressing roller, apair of aligned recesses in the walls of said casing, a cutter keyadapted to fit into said recesses and said cutter key providing a meansfor holding the side Walls of said casing aligned when the same isclosed.

6. An adhesive tape dispenser including a tape pressing roller, a casingformed with two side Wall portions for enclosing a supply of tape, andWall portions being provided with a recess, a cut ter key for cuttingthe tape, said cutter key adapted to fit into said recesses andproviding a means for holding said side Walls in alignment When saidcasing is closed.

7. An adhesive tape dispenser comprising a casing having side wallstelescoping together, means for holding a roll of adhesive tape in saidcasing, a tape pressing roller and a recess in said casing providing ameans for projecting the end of the tape beyond the recess for easyengagement of the projecting end of the tape.

8. An adhesive tape dispenser including a casing having somewhatcircular parallel side Walls, a peripheral wall having an openingtherein projecting beyond the side Walls, a freely removable tapepressing roller adapted to be mounted between said side Walls in saidopening in said peripheral wall and a removable cutter key positionedahead of said roller, for cutting the tape, said cutter key acting as ameans to hold said vside walls in alignment.

HOWARD L. FISCHER.

